Bound By The Stars

Into The Shadows Of The Snow Kingdom

Sera moved quickly, her crystal force flaring as she summoned a protective invisible armor around Eryx and Lydia. She glanced at them briefly, her expression unreadable, before guiding them through a hidden passage out of the courtyard. The weight of what had just transpired pressed down on Lydia, her heart racing as they slipped into the shadows.

Eryx, though shaken, kept his composure. His fire force had been smothered, but not extinguished. Still, his mind was elsewhere.. on his brother, on what might have happened had Sera not intervened. Why hadn’t Xander struck him down when he had the chance?

They moved swiftly through the labyrinthine streets toward the Crystal District, a town under the rule of the Ice Kingdom. Sera's power kept them cloaked, undetectable even to the watchful eyes of Amela, who stood guard nearby. Amela’s orders had been clear: Eryx and Lydia were to remain in the courtyard until the king decided their fate. But now, with Sera’s intervention, they were slipping through the cracks of the king’s plan.

As they neared the town’s gates, Lydia stole a glance back at the courtyard, where Amela still stood like a sentinel, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard. Lydia’s stomach twisted. Amela had been watching everything from the beginning, hadn’t she? But for some reason, she hadn’t intervened. Why? Was she truly loyal to the king, or had she seen something in Xander’s hesitation that made her pause?

Sera pushed them forward, her pace unrelenting as they crossed into the Crystal District. The air here was colder, the buildings forged from ice that shimmered under the pale light of the moon. It felt foreign to Lydia, who shivered despite the invisible armor wrapped around her.

Eryx exhaled slowly, his breath clouding in the cold air. “Thank you, Sera,” he muttered, though his mind was still focused on Xander. “We owe you.”

Sera nodded but remained silent, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. She knew they had only a short time before the king would realize they had left the courtyard. Her grip on her crystal staff tightened.

But Lydia’s thoughts weren’t on the escape. They were on Xander. She couldn’t shake the image of his eyes locking on hers, the coldness in his expression that didn’t quite reach the depths of his soul. He could have finished Eryx. He had the power. He had the perfect opportunity.

Why didn’t he?

They finally stopped in a quiet alley, hidden from view. Sera turned to face them, her voice low and urgent. “We can’t stay here long. The king won’t tolerate defiance for long, especially with Xander out there.”

Eryx’s jaw clenched. “Xander.” He spat the name like a curse. “He’s always had the king’s trust, and now, he’s been given full reign to determine our fate.”

Lydia glanced at Sera. “Why didn’t he kill Eryx?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sera’s eyes darkened, her expression guarded. “Xander…” she hesitated. “He’s not as heartless as he wants you to believe.”

Eryx scoffed. “You really think he has a heart?”

Sera met his gaze steadily. “I’ve known Xander for a long time. There’s a part of him that’s still fighting, a part that hasn’t fully given in to the darkness he surrounds himself with.”

Lydia’s heart pounded. Sera’s words lingered in her mind, replaying over and over: You chose to be this way, Xander. It’s not who you truly are.

Meanwhile, deep within the castle, Xander moved through the shadows, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to clear his mind. He couldn’t focus. His hands shook. Why hadn’t he done it? Why hadn’t he finished Eryx?

It would have been so easy.

The memory of the courtyard burned in his mind. He had been superior. Stronger. His ice force had completely overwhelmed Eryx’s flames, snuffing them out without effort. And Lydia… she was within his reach. He could have taken her, sealed the immortality he craved. It was all right there.

But he hadn’t.

Xander stumbled into a dimly lit chamber, his hands gripping the cold stone walls as if they could anchor him. His breath formed icy clouds in the air, but inside, he felt an unfamiliar warmth, a hesitation he hadn’t felt in years.

You chose to be this way, Xander.

Sera’s words echoed in his mind, taunting him. He had chosen the cold. He had chosen the path of power and control. But why now, in that critical moment, had he hesitated? Why had he let Eryx live? Why hadn’t he taken Lydia when he had the chance?

He squeezed his eyes shut, his thoughts a tangled mess. He had fought so hard to suppress his emotions, to harden his heart. He had trained relentlessly, mastering not just the ice force of his father but also the mind manipulation and lightning forces that made him so feared. But none of that had prepared him for this.. the doubt, the confusion.

A voice called out to him from the shadows. It was Kate. She stepped forward, her red hair glowing like embers against the cold blue of the ice surrounding them.

“Xander,” she said softly, her eyes filled with concern. “What happened back there?”

Xander’s gaze shifted toward her, but his expression remained unreadable. “I hesitated,” he admitted, his voice low and rough.

Kate moved closer, reaching out to touch his arm. “You’re stronger than him, Xander. You could have ended it.”

“I know,” he snapped, pulling away from her touch. “I should have.”

Kate flinched at his harsh tone, but she didn’t back down. “Then why didn’t you?”

Xander didn’t answer immediately. His mind was still swirling with unanswered questions, doubts that gnawed at him like ice creeping through his veins. “I don’t know.”

He turned away, his shoulders tense, as if he could walk away from the confusion in his own mind. Kate watched him, her heart aching. She wanted to comfort him, to be the one he turned to in moments like this. But she knew, deep down, that Xander’s thoughts were elsewhere.. on Lydia, on Eryx, on the conflict tearing him apart from within.

“You’re not heartless,” Kate whispered, though she wasn’t sure he even heard her.

Xander’s eyes flickered with something unreadable before he disappeared once more into the shadows, leaving Kate standing alone in the cold.

In the Crystal District, Lydia, Eryx, and Sera continued their escape. But Lydia’s mind was elsewhere, lingering on Xander’s hesitation, on the part of him that might still be fighting against the darkness. And as the night grew colder, the uncertainty about what Xander would do next chilled her to the bone.